To solve these problems resort has been made to intraocular lenses or artificial lenticulus though they have been used largely for correction of aphakia following cataract extraction.
The present state of ophthalmological practice knows many intraocular prosthetic lenses, comprising an optic body and supporting elements. The optical portion of all such intraocular lenses is in effect a positive (convex) lens. Light rays refracted by the optical part of such intraocular lenses are focused in the macular region. Among such intraocular lenses is the one according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,109 with a priority of Apr. 28, 1987, which comprises an optic body shaped as a planoconvex element and S-like open supporting members. However, this intraocular lens is for surgical correction of cataract and therefore cannot be used for treatment of affections of the central retinal section of the eye.
At present there are a great number of patients suffering from affections of the central retinal section, especially among those of the elderly and old age, wherein affection with maculardystrophy occurs in 25-40 percent of all ophthalmopathological cases. It is very frequently that the fellow eye gets involved so that in 5-8 years since the onset of the disease about 70 percent of patients suffer from central blindness in botheyes, the visual acuity being 0.1 or below. Implantation of conventional intraocular lenses fails to improve the visual function in such patients, since the image gets on the affected retinal area. Thus the problem of restoration of visual functions arises in patients with diseases of the central retinal section.
One more state-of-the-art intraocular lens (U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,599 with a priority of Jan. 7, 1986) known to comprise an optic body shaped as a planoconvex element and S-like closed supporting members.
However, implantation of such an intraocular lens into the eye of a patient suffering from affection of the central retinal section fails to solve the problem of visual correction, since with the use of the present introcular lens the retinal image is formed in the macular region, which is affected in such patients.
Another state-of-the-art intraocular lens (U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,358 with a priority of May 27, 1986) is known to comprise an optic body shaped as a planoconvex element and four symmetric arcuate supporting members facing with their convex surface towards the optic body.
However, application of this intraocular lens fails to provide correction of visual functions in patients with the affected central retinal section, since the optic axis of said lens aligns with the central optic axis of the eye so that light rays refracted in the optic body of the lens are focused in the macular region. Inasmuch as said region is affected, the central retinal section cannot perceive the image and implantation of such an intraocular lens fails to provide correction of visual functions.